The way one lives, what he does, the foods he eats, and even his outlook on life can determine his health. Many persons, especially those living in developing nations, are susceptible to lifestyle diseases. Lifestyle diseases are common illnesses like heart disease, cancer, chronic liver disease, asthma, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. When people indulge in smoking, drinking, eating unhealthy foods, and living a sedentary lifestyle, they often get one of these illnesses. These diseases do not have to occur if people take measures towards doing things that promote a better way of life. Making changes in one’s daily life will result in a healthy body and mind, and stress-free life. Type 2 diabetes is one of the diseases that occur because of these behavioral and environmental factors that we practice. Zimmet (2011) of the Heart and Diabetes Institute, said that diabetes is becoming one of “the greatest threat to public health in the 21st century,” He is calling for the strengthening of efforts for its prevention and control.
There are over 285 million people worldwide who suffer from diabetes. According to reports, this number is expected to rise to 439 million by the year 2030. A person with diabetes has a shorter time to live and will suffer diabetes related illnesses like stroke, heart disease, circulation problems, kidney failure and blindness. In the United States, 25.8 million persons have diabetes. Of this number, over 7 million is unaware that they have it. About 1.9 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in 2010 in the USA. The Heart and Diabetes Institute studied trends in Asian nations compared to its occurrence in the United States. Between the years 1978 to 2000 there was an increase of 1.5, whereas South Korea, between 1971 to 2001, there was a drastic 5.1 increase. These increases happen over 22 and 30 year period respectively. The biggest study was carried out in Australia in 2000 where 11, 247 adults were used in the survey. The study show there was a rising prevalence of diabetes in that country. A further study was carried out in 2005 that revealed that among men and women there was an annual occurrence of 0.8 and 0.7 respectively.
As more nations become modernize, and their economy flourish, cases of diabetes begin to increase among its people. Asia was described as the “epicenter” for the disease. India and China were reported to have the highest number of cases of type 2 diabetes. HealthDay Reporter Reinberg (2012) said that in 1995, there were only three states where the diabetes rate was only about 6 percent, but by 2010, all 50 states had reached that rate. The centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the states in the south were worst. In the 15 year period in 42 states the rate doubled, reaching an all-time high of 50 percent in 42 states. Alarmingly, there was an increase of 100 percent of persons with diabetes in 18 states.
The seventh leading cause of death in North Carolina is diabetes. In a Harvard University study by Burkins (2014) the report said that the disease is far more prevalent in North Carolina than in the whole of the United States overall. In the Charlotte area, the campaign now is to identify 100,000 persons who are at the risk of developing type 2 Diabetes. To reduce the risk of contracting the disease, a 16 week free program will be conducted. This program will teach them how to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle that will prevent them from developing the disease. At present, the state spends 17 billion per year to provide educational programs and medicine. The US spends $245 to treat type 2 diabetes. Charlotte presently spends 6.9 percent of the overall total cost of the US to deal with the disease. With so many persons getting ill, there will be massive amounts lost in productivity by the year 2025.
There are lifestyle and behavioral influences that can prevent the onset of type 2 Diabetes. Persons who develop the habit of smoking and drinking and not exercising and eating the right foods, run the risk of developing the disease. The way a person acts or think will have an impact on his emotional state. If you keep your emotions in and not express yourself, this will lead to health problems such as digestive disorders and high blood pressure. We can choose to be negative and suffer the consequences or be happy and live a healthy life. Negative and angry people will go through life looking and feeling unhappy and helpless. If you are constantly angry, it damages the immune system and robs the brain of vital chemicals that are required for you to feel happy.
Remaining positive will result in a more positive outlook and one will begin to see the world around him in a much more creative and inspiring way. Creativity broadens our outlook and creates in us a lasting emotional feeling that will make us strive. When you are positive you sleep better as you are more comfortable with yourself. It also makes you love and feel that you are living and not merely existing. You will learn to be more tolerant of things and learn to put up with each other.
Diabetes slows you down and makes you unable to carry out your daily tasks effectively. Several studies and clinical trials carried out by Dr. D. J. Frenk, Harvard school of Public Health, supports the idea that type 2 Diabetes is preventable. He carried out a study where he assesses the effect of weight loss and increased physical activity on the development of type 2 diabetes among men and women who had high blood sugar readings. He assigned one group to the weight loss program and exercise, and one group to regular care. After three years, the group that was assigned to the weight loss program showed 58 percent fewer cases of diabetes developing among them, than the group that had only regular care.
Simple measures can dramatically reduce the risk of developing the disease. Some persons, especially those who have a very hectic schedule taking care of the family and working in very high-stressed jobs, hardly find the time to eat right, exercise and to make sure that they look after their health. Some persons feel too that it takes a lot of money, time, and effort to effect the necessary changes, but this is not so. There are some risk factors over which we have no control, but there are other factors that we can control such as deciding to eat right, exercising, and getting rid of some risky habits like smoking. When there is no time to eat we resort to anything, and usually it is something that has a lot of sugar which is bad for your health.
Both at work and home, there are easy ways of helping us to maintain a healthy lifestyle. First, we have to create a mind that will eliminate stress, do regular exercise, eat healthy foods, get rid of smoking, do not drink alcohol, and get plenty of rest. In the workplace, it is relatively easy to maintain a diet that is free from too much sugar. Employers can replace the drink dispenser with a water fountain and coffee machine. Clinical studies have proved that there is a link between sugary beverages and type 2 diabetes. Workers can be encouraged to take a sandwich to work instead of reaching for a donut or sweets when they feel hungry. Some work environment promotes the healthy lifestyle among their workers by having a nurse professional talk to workers about living healthy. The idea of sitting behind a desk appeals to some persons, but they might be harming themselves by remaining inactive for too long.
Workplace wellness is the focus of the work environment. The writer advocates a wellness program. Many of us spend the better part of the day on the job; therefore, our place of work should be free from physical stress and workers should be free from mental discomforts in order for them to effectively complete their work. A wellness program would fit the schedule of many workers. Workers would benefit from the information about eating properly and exercising and managing work-related stress. Bits of information and tips about wellness can be placed on the notice board for workers to read. Facts about calories can be posted in the company’s dining room so that workers can select the right amount of calories to eat. Some companies have regular exercise program for after work. The importance of keeping workers healthy must be considered. “Healthy employees tend to be happier and more productive employees” (Noelcke, Advantages of Workplace Wellness Programs).
We are living in a word that is becoming more stressful every day and with this stress comes illnesses and diseases that will spiral out of control unless something is done to control and prevent this. Sickness will affect a country’s economy and cause the government to overspend on its budget. We should not wait until the problem occurs then we try to find ways to curtail it, we should prevent the problem from happening.
Reference
Frenk, J. D. Simple Steps to Preventing Diabetes.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/preventing-diabetes-full-story/ Web 2014
http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-wellbeing/health/thoughts-emotions/how-
do-thoughts-emotions-impact-health. Web 2014
http://www.medicographia.com/2011/07/the-growing-pandemic-of-type-2-diabetes-crucial-need-
for- prevention-and-improved-detection
Noelcke, Kiz. Advantages of Workplace Wellness Programs. A Healthy Fit for Employers and
Employees. http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=246 web
2014
Reinberg, Steven. (2012) U.S. Diabetes Rates Soaring: CD
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/11/15/us-diabetes-rates-
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Zimmet, Paul Z The growing pandemic of type 2 diabetes: A crucial need for prevention and
improved detection.http://www.thehealthsite.com/topics/lifestyle-diseases-diseases-
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